Avatar: The Way of Water is finally heading to streaming services, though surprisingly Disney Plus isn’t one of them yet.
This sequel to the original Avatar movie released in 2009 has been shown exclusively in theaters for over three months. Now Disney has announced that it will be available from March 28 in the US (or April 4 in the UK) as a digital purchase and you’ll be able to watch it at home via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and other streamers.
After launch, those of you with one of the best 4K TVs and the best soundbars will be able to enjoy the movie in all its Ultra HD glory, with immersive Dolby Atmos sound. Plus, you’ll reportedly be able to enjoy “over three hours of never-before-seen bonus content featuring the filmmakers, cast, and crew” with purchase.
Given that Avatar 2 was produced by 20th Century Fox, which is now owned by Disney, many Disney Plus subscribers would likely expect the movie to be released on that streaming platform first. However, it looks like they’ll have to wait a bit longer before they can watch the movie at home, unless they pay to watch it on another service.
That said, we expect Avatar 2 to eventually come to Disney Plus; it’s likely to take a little longer as Disney and Fox seem to be taking a more “traditional” approach to movie releases, with the movie only available on DVD or pay digital VOD before launching on Disney’s own streaming service at no extra charge to charge from subscribers.
In our review of Avatar: The Way of Water, we called the four-and-a-half star “a phenomenal cinematic achievement.” Director James Cameron’s return to Pandora completely lives up to the promise of a film filled with incredibly beautiful visuals. The long running time can be a bit frustrating, and the third act feels very familiar; however, the story is surprisingly moving and you have less reason to miss this movie now that it can be watched at home.